Dirty engine compartment

[petermb72]

I purchased a used glastron 2001 gx 185 with the 4.3 L volvo penta. The engine compartment seems to be a little on the oily side. I am new to i/o drives and I am not sure if this is normal. The boat on a whole was a little dirty and needed a good going over. I want to clean up the compartment and the engine. Is this normal to have a dirty compartment, and what can I use to clean it up? Can I use engine degreeser, or some such product as that?

Thanks,
Peter

 

[bomar76]

Re: Dirty engine compartment

Our 1994 Baja has a bilge and engine compartment clean enough to eat off of, and it's always been spotless...
The Orange citrus based cleaners work fantastic for cleaning them up....better than Simple Green and Purple Power.

 

[tysonnathan]

Re: Dirty engine compartment

the oil drain on i/o engines is down in the engine compartment. When some people change oil they let it drain into the bilge and then out the back of the boat rather than pumping the old oil out through the dipstick tube. I have done it that way before but I always try to clean up afterwards. busted hydraulic lines will also spill oil into the bilge. it could have come from a past oil change/busted hose that has been replaced or you may have a current problem that is causing it. clean out the bilge with a mild degreaser... use a brush and rag to scrub if you have to. once its clean, watch it to see if there are any drips/leaks. this should tell you the source